The members of the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, are planning to vote August 19 on whether to sell its stadium, which was for many years the venue of the U. S. Open tennis championship, according to an article today by Dawn Wotapka with contributions by Sophia Hollander at online.wsj.com.
The horseshoe-shaped, 15,000-seat stadium also hosted other events such as a concert by the Beatles but several years ago the U. S. Open moved to the new National Tennis Center, a slightly larger facility, also in Queens.
The article said that West Side Tennis Club President Kenneth J. Parker declined to comment, but noted that Nancy VanDerbeck, the club secretary notified some members about the potential sale Friday. According to a notice posted at the 825-member West Side Tennis Club, an informational meeting about the potential sale is scheduled for Aug. 10, with a vote by members planned for Aug. 19, the article said.
"Two-thirds of West Side Tennis Club members with voting rights," the article said, "must agree to the sale. It is unclear if a buyer has already been selected and how much land would be included in any deal. The letter says the sale proposal would only cover the 'stadium parcel.'"
The stadium is surrounded by some of the most prestigious real estate in Queens, which has fueled speculation that the site could be a prime candidate of high-end residential development.
The stadium borders Forest Hills Gardens, one of the wealthiest and most picturesque residential communities om Queens, where mansions command millions of dollars and the buyer "would be acquiring property in what has always been one of New York's best neighborhoods," said Jamie LeFrak, whose family real-estate development business owns tens of thousands of apartments in Queens, with several hundred in Forest Hills.
The tennis club was founded in 1892 and it has a large Tudor-style clubhouse surrounded by more than 30 tennis courts.
The site is within walking distance of an express subway stop, the Long Island Rail Road and the Austin Street shopping area brimming with brand-name retailers and restaurants including Victoria's Secret and Barnes & Noble.
The horseshoe-shaped, 15,000-seat stadium also hosted other events such as a concert by the Beatles but several years ago the U. S. Open moved to the new National Tennis Center, a slightly larger facility, also in Queens.
The article said that West Side Tennis Club President Kenneth J. Parker declined to comment, but noted that Nancy VanDerbeck, the club secretary notified some members about the potential sale Friday. According to a notice posted at the 825-member West Side Tennis Club, an informational meeting about the potential sale is scheduled for Aug. 10, with a vote by members planned for Aug. 19, the article said.
"Two-thirds of West Side Tennis Club members with voting rights," the article said, "must agree to the sale. It is unclear if a buyer has already been selected and how much land would be included in any deal. The letter says the sale proposal would only cover the 'stadium parcel.'"
The stadium is surrounded by some of the most prestigious real estate in Queens, which has fueled speculation that the site could be a prime candidate of high-end residential development.
The stadium borders Forest Hills Gardens, one of the wealthiest and most picturesque residential communities om Queens, where mansions command millions of dollars and the buyer "would be acquiring property in what has always been one of New York's best neighborhoods," said Jamie LeFrak, whose family real-estate development business owns tens of thousands of apartments in Queens, with several hundred in Forest Hills.
The tennis club was founded in 1892 and it has a large Tudor-style clubhouse surrounded by more than 30 tennis courts.
The site is within walking distance of an express subway stop, the Long Island Rail Road and the Austin Street shopping area brimming with brand-name retailers and restaurants including Victoria's Secret and Barnes & Noble.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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